Japji Sahib Way To God In Sikhism

Sikhism is the younger of the world's major religions, and is the most egalitarian and modern in practice. The scriptural authority for its followers is the Sari Guru Granth Sahib. The founder of the Sikh faith is Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The Japji Sahib spells out the basic principles prescribed for a Sikh.

Sikhism is the youngest of the major world religions and the most modern and egalitarian in its practice. The scriptural authority for its followers is the 'Gurbani' in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Japji Sahib is the quintessential 'bani' and the key to the philosophy expounded by the Gurus. Guru Nanak's Japji Sahib: Way to God in Sikhism by Maneshwar S. Chahal is a unique presentation in that, before offering well-reasoned conclusions, it puts forth many a point of view and not just any single interpretation of the verses. It will help the lay reader to easily understand the Guru's message and offer the scholar ready material for deeper study of this vast subject. At the beginning of the book has been added the text of the verses of Japji in Roman script, as also in 'Gurmukhi' for those who would want to also experience the joy of chanting the 'bani

This is an English translation of Guru Nanak's beautiful Sri Japji Sahib. Designed and formatted with an exquisite background for the reader's enjoyment.

There are three primary purposes of a religious prayer. 1. To refresh your remembrance and awareness of God. 2. To bring your wandering mind into the present moment. 3. To understand the meaning of the prayer and imbibe its teachings into your life in order to further your spiritual progress. By God's grace, presented to you here is the translation of the JAPJI SAHIB(composed in Gurumukhi script by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the First Guru and founder of the Sikh Religion) into English. At the end of the translation, I have also offered to you the Transliteration of JAPJI SAHIB, for those who may wish to recite as a prayer in the original Gurumukhi language. JAPJI SAHIB is a universal sacred hymn(prayer) about God and creation, composed by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh faith. The Japji Sahib consists of the Mool Mantra(Root Mantra) as the beginning followed by 38 hymns and a final Salok at the end of this composition. The Japji appears at the very beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs. It is regarded as the most important Bani or 'set of verses' by the Sikhs and is recited every morning by all practicing this faith. The word ‘Jap’ means to ‘recite’ or ‘to ‘chant’. ‘Ji’ is a word that is used to show respect as is the word ‘Sahib’. You are encouraged to read the translation several times, and the beauty of this glorious script will manifest in your mind. Harmony will come to your life as you begin to understand God and his attributes(as can be comprehended by a human), as revealed to us by God through Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

The Japji, composed by Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, is the most important prayer of the Sikhs, and one of the most sublime and majestic examples of sacred poetry in any language. Comprising a series of hymns in praise of 'the One God Who is Truth', it opens the sacred book of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib, and is recited every morning by all practising Sikhs. The Rehras is a prayer of thanksgiving, recited at the end of the day in gratitude and also for inspiration. It comprises hymns by five of the ten Sikh Gurus: Guru Nanak, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjun and Guru Gobind Singh. This volume brings together Khushwant Singh's classic English translations of the two best-known and, in many ways, defining sacred compositions of the Sikhs. Beautifully illustrated, this is a collector's edition for anyone interested not only in the Sikh faith but also in great sacred literature.

All renderings attempting to explain the Divine path are quite difficult to comprehend. The Japji Sahib of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, which is such a work, was rendered more than 500 years ago. Languages are not static but dynamic and Punjabi language is no exception to this. This fact has not helped in the matter but has rather made it more complex. The book 'JAPJI Sahib: A Complete Way of Life" attempts to facilitate the understanding of Japji Sahib, the daily Morning Prayer of Sikhs - incorporated at the beginning of 'Shri Guru Granth Sahib' the scripture of Sikhs - which is to be viewed as a single continuous and compact message of Guru Nanak, depicting unity of the directive principles of Sikhism. There is a school of thought, which explains Japji Sahib as expansion of the introductory 'Mool Mantra'. In this context, Japji Sahib is also stated to be the essence of whole Guru Granth Sahib. Conversely, the whole Guru Granth Sahib is said to be the expansion of Japji Sahib. The commentary, in black print, attempts to reflect this oneness of the principles of this most modern & universal religion of the world. Apart from the commentary, this book also contains the translation of Japji Sahib in English. All the available translations of Japji Sahib are narrative in nature and therefore, make it impossible to relate them to each word of the original rendering in Gurmukhi script. This effort has been made with the idea of setting right this imbalance. The translation, in coloured print, is given in as many words as in the original rendering. Owing to the limitation of the difference in the grammar of the two languages, some words have been added, in the translation, to clarify the complete meaning. These additional words are mentioned in brackets. The commentary and the translation have been interspersed in such a manner that they complement each other for better comprehension by the reader. For easier segregated reading, the translation, in blue print, has been aligned right. However, where there is a direct instruction to be followed by human beings, the translation, in bold print, has been coloured red and has been center-aligned. Another aspect that may be mentioned is that Sikhism has certain concepts, which if not unique, are quite special to it. Few such important concepts are 'Guru', 'Baani/Gurbaani', 'Hukam', 'Maaya', 'Man', 'Haumain', 'Naam/Shabad', 'Sat/Sach/Waheguru' and 'Simran'. Understanding these concepts in right perspective would be a pre-requisite for anyone interested in gaining an in-depth familiarization with this religion. These concepts have also been explained in the book. Some of the difficult words / terms (with super-scribed numbering) used in the book have been clarified in detail separately. It can be said that Japji Sahib helps a person in understanding the very purpose of human life. It also explains the specific acts to be performed in life and the manner in which they are to be performed for achieving the laid down objective of human life. There can't be a more true and simple narration of why and how of the human life than the one detailed in Japji Sahib. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji's rendering of Japji Sahib is a service to mankind to which it is difficult to find another equal. Guru Nanak's message of Japji Sahib transcends all religions and seeks welfare of all beings. It is a powerful tool provided to the human being for fulfillment of his destiny. However, the option remains with the individual as to whether he wants to know, understand and pursue the desired path.

In this classic, Khushwant Singh presents a concise history of the followers of one of the world's youngest religions. Beginning with the life and times of the founder, Guru Nanak (1469-1539), he moves on to describe the vital contribution made by the following nine gurus in shaping and developing the Sikh religion; and the significance of the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, and its centrality to the religion. He examines the setting up of the Singh Sabha and the accompanying social reform, the impact of the Ghadr rebellion and the Akali agitation for control of various Sikh shrines. The new Afterword by his son, journalist Rahul Singh, brings the story of the Sikhs up to date. Authoritative yet accessible, this is one of the most concise and readable accounts of the Sikhs and their faith.